From the Sierra Nevada to the Coast, California's Mountains Are Blanketed in Snow

California's mountains are glistening with snow after a series of major storms in what is turning out to be a very wet winter.

The statewide snowpack is estimated at 124 percent of normal, a good sign for the state's water supply. Melting snow runs off mountains in spring, entering the state's aqueduct system. 

Big Bear's Big Snowfall Is Big

Snowcapped peaks extend from the Sierra Nevada to mountain ranges much closer to the coast, including the rugged backdrop behind metropolitan Los Angeles.

On the Southern California coast, palm trees frame vistas of frosty ranges several dozen miles inland. Where the Holy Fire burned in August, a blanket of snow now covers part of Cleveland National Forest above Corona and Lake Elsinore.

So Mammoth Is Under So. Much. Snow Right Now

A satellite image shows snow on ranges across Southern California and in the high desert.

Blowing snow early Wednesday in the Antelope Valley desert can be seen in video posted on Twitter by the Los Angeles County sheriff's Lancaster station.

In the Sierra, the Mammoth Mountain ski resort reported 7-10 feet (2-3 meters) of new snow in four days -- so much that people are urged to keep the potential for "snow immersion suffocation" in mind.

South Lake Tahoe resorts also are sporting multiple feet of new snow.